Creative Cloud Desktop App Cannot Sign Into Adobe Servers

[DBaer]

Whenever I run Creative Cloud I get this error:

"Unable to reach Adobe servers. Please check your firewall settings, ensure that the time settings on your computer are correct, and try again."

This is a recent issue as I have installed this product previously on this PC, and installed Photoshop and a few other programs as recently as a few weeks ago. I only discovered it trying to download another software package.

So here's what I've tried so far...

Firewall: Turned it off and still got no response to Adobe servers.

Time Settings: they are correct.

Also tried this: Can't sign in to creative cloud

Then I uninstalled everything to do a clean reinstall and now I have lost everything.

Also tried contacting Tech Support via Live Chat. That didn't work. After about two hours of the TS guy connected to full access to my computer and doing a lot of unnervingly nothing, even though my HDD light was active as all hell, even he couldn't figure it out. He ended up creating [another] Admin account on my PC even though the account I was using was already an admin. He did something that caused me not to be able to use my keyboard. Whichever key I pressed it opened a command, window, or icon, making my PC nonfunctional.

Anyway, I really need at least Photoshop to check my students work. I am a teacher who teaches Photoshop and without it I cannot function properly. Please help. Please let me know if there is any other information that you may need.

Thank you.

[kglad]

confirm that you can connect to the secure adobe servers.

for help with that and other common secure adobe.com connection problems read, http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/activation-network-issues.html

do you see both logos?

[DBaer]

Yup.

• Little red and gray Adobe icon.
• Ping and Ponged back.
• Ran the Adobe Limited Access Repair Tool: 0 hosts file entries were fixed. (the tech support guy did that also)
• Reset Hosts file manually: Did that. Nothing in the hosts file. Literally, Nothing. Tech guy did that as well.
• Opened ports 80 and 443 to Adobe. However, when trying to allow the app through, this file path does not exist: Windows: Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\OOBE\PDApp\core
• Turned off firewall.
• GlobalSign Root CA Certificate is enabled for Server Authentication.
• Deactivated all PCs on my account. There were two.
• Also turned off Windows Defender.

Still get the same error: "Unable to reach Adobe servers. Please check your firewall settings, ensure that the time settings on your computer are correct, and try again."

[kglad]

are you behind a corporate or school firewall?

[DBaer]

I am at home. This is a personal PC. I share the connection with a roommate though through a router, if that has any significance. But, again, this just started happening. Everything was fine up until about a week or so ago. I made no changes to my PC's hardware. I have installed a few games but unless they've changed something, everything has been business as usual.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

DBaer, I would recommend checking with your roommate if there have been any changes implemented to the router about a week ago when the membership was working.  You can find a list of the servers you will need access to at Adobe Creative Cloud Network Endpoints .  These servers are used to allow access to Creative Cloud applications, updates, and the bundled services.

I did review the activation history for the e-mail address you used to post to this public discussion forum, DBaer, but I see no successful activation requests in 2018.  The last successful activation request was on December 11, 2017.  Were you using the Creative Cloud membership successfully on this computer in 2018?  If so then did you use the steps listed in Learn how to download your Adobe Creative Cloud apps to download and install the Creative Cloud applications, or did you use an alternate method, DBaer.

I also reviewed case ADB-3050103-Z3M1 where it was confirmed that there were no entries blocking access to Adobe servers in the host file.  If you are unable to resolve the configuration error, causing the connection failure on the router, then I would concur with Gargi and recommend you try an alternate Internet connection.  You mentioned you were using a DSL connection.  Is their a separate DSL modem or is it a combination DSL modem and router?  You could try temporarily connecting to the DSL modem to help determine if the router configuration is blocking access to Adobe servers, DBaer.

[DBaer]

Jeff,

Thanks for your reply.

No changes to the router have been made. It's a Comcast router we connect through directly. No separate modem/router.

I activated my software last year when I got a new PC. I did it using the same modem connection. The last software I downloaded should have been Adobe Audition which was maybe a month ago (?). So, like I said, everything was fine up until I went to download something this week. Apparently I can connect to the servers because

The tech also suggested I try a different Internet connect and I will ask you as I asked him. How? Am I supposed to order a new router? I've tried disconnecting my roomate's cable from the modem so that I was the only one connected and it still wouldn't work. When it comes to the technical side of things I am lost. I am not an IT specialist so if you have any suggestions that aren't as vague as "try a new Internet connection" I'd be happy to try it. Otherwise please try to be as detailed as possible.

Thank you.

[DBaer]

Sorry, forgot to amend this part...

*Apparently I can connect to the servers because when I do the test page I can see both icons and the software worked fine while I was using it.

[DBaer]

Jeff,

Could it have anything to do with the email that the account is under? I just realized that my account is under my old .edu email address. That email has since been shut down and I have a new one. Was it just that simple?

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

DBaer, I only checked the e-mail address you used to post to this public forum.  If you have a Creative Cloud membership under a different address then please log in with that e-mail address.  If you continue to face errors can you send me a private message with the e-mail address you are using?  You can mouse over my name in the public forum discussion to send a private message.

As for your question regarding the alternate Internet connection.  If you are using a desktop computer then you may want to see if you can borrow someone's mobile hotspot or perhaps borrow the password from the neighbor's wi-fi network?  If you have a laptop then I would recommend taking the computer to a library or coffee shop.  This may be irrelevant if it's a matter of logging in with the right account.  I look forward to your update, DBaer.

[DBaer]

PM sent.

My roommate, who is using the same exact router and also has an adobe account, has no issues connecting, so it cannot be the Internet. This is confusing as hell. =\

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Thanks, , DBaer, the e-mail address you sent is the same one associated with the account you are using to post to this public discussion forum.  I still do not see any successful activation requests in 2018.

If you have already implemented all of the steps listed in Resolve connection errors with Adobe Creative Cloud and Creative Suite applications , DBaer, then it is time to become more aggressive in the troubleshooting steps performed.  If you have full confidence in your local network then it is likely that a software firewall or other security-related software may be blocking the ability of the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application to communicate successfully.  Please temporarily disable any installed security software to see if it allows your membership to activate.  I would also recommend you remove any installed software that you are not familiar with on the computer.

You are also welcome to begin a chat session at Contact Customer Care for direct assistance.  We won't be able to help with disabling any installed security software but we can verify all of the steps listed in Resolve connection errors with Adobe Creative Cloud and Creative Suite applications have been fully implemented.

[DBaer]

Ah Jeff, I thought you were going to be my savior on this one.

I changed my email on the account when I discovered it the other day. There is nothing activated on that account now because I cannot sign in using the Creative Cloud desktop app, which is where all of the software is and, as I've stated, I've also since uninstalled all of my Adobe products as instructed in one of the recommendations for troubleshooting my issue. Now, I have no software to activate and cannot download anything to activate. Thus, my conundrum.

I won't be able to do any of the suggestions for changing the Internet connection as I have no laptop and it would be far too much trouble to try to convince any of my neighbors to allow me access to their wifi. Again, I am convinced it's not the Internet. I can connect to every other Adobe website and server verification and my roommate can connect with no issues, I simply cannot access Creative Cloud.

I have tried disabling my antivirus to no avail. I've opened the recommended ports. I've followed the regiment of Resolving connection errors with Adobe Creative Cloud and Creative Suite applications multiple times, still to no avail. I've spent at least a few hours in an online chat with an overseas Adobe "tech" who couldn't figure it out either. And aside from a few games I haven't added any new software to my PC.

Aside from taking an axe to it, it would seem my only option now would be to do a complete Windows reinstall to see if that resolves my issue. I guess I can give that a shot over the weekend.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Sorry, DBaer, I know this is frustrating.  It does seem like it is localized to something on the current computer that is blocking the Creative Cloud desktop app from reaching out and contacting our servers.

As a next step, you could try running the computer using the Clean Boot process.  This will disable any non-Microsoft applications and services and may allow for a successful connection attempt to be made.  Details on how to run in clean boot can be found at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/929135/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows .

Otherwise formating and reinstalling may be the best step, Dbaer. I would recommend that you only restore any needed documents and settings after restoring Windows.  This will help prevent the application that is preventing the connection from being reinstalled.  For Adobe applications, in particular, we always recommend going through the process listed in Learn how to download your Adobe Creative Cloud apps as opposed to restoring the applications from a backup.

Please feel free to update this discussion if you have any additional questions, Dbaer.

[DBaer]

Success Jeff! The clean boot did it! So now I have to go back and enable programs one by one until I find the one that's blocking CC from connecting. Thanks so much for your help on that.

However... new problem.

Now all my apps are trial versions. I have... scratch that.. HAD a teacher/student account that expired but I have been paying $29.99/mo since March of this year. So, a few new questions if I may.

1. How do I re-activate my apps so that I can continue using them? According to this page it says all I have to do is log in and "Once signed in, your Creative Cloud license and all installed apps and services are activated automatically." But they're not. They all say Try or Buy Now.

2. I have the Teacher/Student account but I'm being charged $29.99 now instead of $19.99 renewable yearly as advertised. How do I go back to the original price?

[DBaer]

Scratch that! I got it working. After rebooting back into a full boot the software activated and now I'm good to go. I tried running the Creative Cloud Desktop app again but it wouldn't sign in so it's definitely a software issue so I'll just have to trouble shoot that. I will report back here once I've found it in case anyone else is having a similar issue.

I still would like an answer for question 2 though, if you please.

Thanks again for all your help.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright · Accepted solution]

Thank you for the update, Dbaer!  I am showing several successful activation requests now being sent from the computer!

If you discover any application or configuration changes which may have prevented the connection from being made to Adobe servers, then please update this public forum discussion.

I am sorry you had to go to such extreme measures Dbaer, but this discussion helps reinforce the importance of a local backup for any documents or critical files we may store on our computers.  It allows for an easy restoration process if it is necessary to reinstall the operating system.